Conventionally, an image forming device performs image forming in such a manner that the device forms an image based on inputted image data from a built-in image scanning device, or based on inputted image data transmitted through external terminals, and transfers the formed image to a sheet (recording sheet), then fixes the transferred image to the sheet.
In this manner of image forming, when the sheet is sequentially carried to each processing unit to be subjected to those processing steps, paper jam occurs in some cases in the processing units or on the way to the processing units due to improper paper feeding, environmental change, or inadequate quality of the sheet.
To cope with this problem, an image forming device has a structure for enabling a user to remove a jammed sheet by opening the cover of the image forming device, or by pulling out the processing unit.
However, when a user opens the cover of the image forming device and pulls out the processing unit so as to remove a jammed sheet, sufficient space is required around the image forming device.
In this demand for a sufficient space around the image forming device for handling paper jam, remarkable downsizing of the recent image forming devices cannot provide desirable effect.
Particularly, in the case of a heat-fixing processing unit, the user have to pull a fixing unit in high temperature out of the image forming device with the processing unit when handling paper jam, and may mistakenly touch the fixing unit in high temperature.
Further, as the user pulls out the fixing unit in high temperature for obtaining enough space between the unit and the image forming device, sufficient space is required around the device. Thus, downsizing of the image forming device cannot provide a desirable effect since the whole space required for setting the device cannot be reduced.